I first saw these tracks from the air, as we were about to land in a Coast Guard helicopter on a remote island in the Colville River to collect some water samples. The pilot saw them, too, and hastily pulled up on the stick. "Polar bear tracks!" Instead of landing we shot ahead, passing low over the island. Dwarf willows covered much of the small island, and the last thing we wanted was a bear leaping out while we were working. While Jeremy Mathis collected the water, I wandered over to the tracks to take some photos of the dinner-plate-sized impressions.

I included this shot in the gallery because it's a very different view of a polar bear - but still suggestive of the animal's size and ferocity.